Synopsis
Francis Fukuyama’s thesis statement for the article can be identified as “ (Fukuyama 1998)
Outline:
Chimpanzee Politics * Primatologist Frans de Waal describes power struggles in a colony in which the alpha male was dethroned by two younger males, but formed an alliance with one to reclaim his status and murder his successor. (Fukuyama 1998) * The splitting of a colony into two rival gangs is compared to the Roman-Carthage conflict of 146 B.C in that northern chimps wiped out the south. (Fukuyama 1998) * The significance of this chimp behaviour is summarized into aspects of violence, coalition-building, and the fact that both of these activities are male dominated. Females have relationships while males practice realpolitik. (Fukuyama 1998) * Similarities between humans and chimps are discussed, particularly male group activities (politics and warfare) deriving from hunting cooperatively. (Fukuyama 1998)
The Not-so-Noble Savage * It is not sufficient to compare humans to animals to prove a point because humans are fundamentally different and more civilized. (Fukuyama 1998) * It is argued that civilization gave birth to violence and patriarchy but this is countered by studies showing murder and war being higher in hunter-gatherer societies. (Fukuyama 1998) * War and mass killings are not uncommon in human history. (Fukuyama 1998) * Men mostly commit violence. Matriarchal societies are historically hard to find. (Fukuyama 1998) * The aggressive, violent, power hungry state of modern politics is attributed to the men in power; a female run world, which is apparently happening, would have less of these features. This being said, men will continue to influence if not dominate world governance. (Fukuyama 1998) * Men are genetically engineered with such characteristics, and changing them will have its limits. (Fukuyama 1998)
The Return of Biology *